Should We Encourage Our Children to Daydream?

I was a daydreaming child (and, I freely admit, I’m still a daydreamer as an adult). While daydreaming, I built castles and fought dragons, won horse races (as both horse and jockey) and gold medals, became a princess and a heroine, and had grand journeys and escapades. Daydreaming fueled an active imagination, one that has been of enormous help in my profession as a writer.

But today, daydreaming has lost its luster. In our increasingly impatient society, we don’t have the time or patience for kids who inhabit their own little world, often staring off into space instead of putting on their shoes. We also don’t see the “need” for daydreaming, attributing a lackluster life to those who dare to dream while awake. 

Many of us have a similar view of daydreaming, that it’s not something we should cultivate even in childhood. What we fail to realize is that daydreaming has real benefits to our children (and even for adults!). Here are eight reasons to encourage your child’s daydreaming. 

Photo Credit: ©Pexels/Katie E